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She held it at arm’s length, pointing it
down the gallery towards the targets and taking aim.  “Yes, I’d like to try one
of these my Lord.” Carefully she replaced it in the box and looked at him. 
“But we are competing are we not?  In which case I would prefer to use my own. 
I only have one I am afraid but you are very welcome to use it if you would like
to.”  As she spoke, Frances took a smaller silver plated pistol from an inside
coat pocket and handed it to him to inspect.  “It’s Spanish” she explained.
    “It
feels very light,” Carleton commented dubiously.
    Frances
smiled confidently. “One does not need a cannon to hit the ace of spades my
lord, you’ll see.”  She paused, “Are you a good shot?”
    A
little taken aback by her directness, he demurred, “I’m considered a fair shot
I believe.”
    “Well
in that case, as our wager is between friends, shall we say five guineas my
Lord?”
    Carleton
frowned, a little offended, “You sound as if you expect me to lose!” he
retorted.
    Frances
smiled deprecatingly, “Well you see, I am considered an excellent shot.  I wouldn’t want to take advantage of our friendship!”
    He
regarded her a moment through narrowed eyes, then laughed.  “I’ll be damned if
I know what your lay is youngster.  By all means let it be five guineas if you
wish – I’ll take you to dinner on it!  Best of three?”
    Frances
nodded and carefully loaded her pistol “After you my Lord.”
    Carleton
loaded both weapons, then chose one and stepped forward to the white line
painted across the floor.  Put on his mettle by Frances self assurance, he took
his time between each shot and placed one hole in the centre and the other two
edging the black of the spade.
    “Rather
better than fair sir,” remarked Frances drily.
    Watched
by a satisfied Carleton and an interested attendant, she took careful aim with
her silver pistol and fired off three shots in quick succession, only pausing
to reload in between.  Carleton saw the single hole in the black and said
bracingly, “That one is in the centre at least, not bad for a first attempt.” 
    Rather
to his surprise, Francis looked very pleased with himself, unable to keep a
little smile from his lips as he turned to the attendant.  “If you would be so
good as to bring the card up here?”  The man went willingly and Frances looked
with slightly guilty apology at Carleton.
    “I
am sorry, but when one shows off, it is so good to succeed!”  The attendant
gave her the card and she passed it to Carleton who held it up to the light. 
He could see then that the hole was a fraction larger than that made by a
single bullet – the youngster had scored three bullseyes in a row!  He pursed
his lips in a low whistle, “Excellent shooting! Well done lad!”
    Frances
flushed at his praise, “There are only two things that I do well my Lord and
that is one of them!  May I try your pistol now?”  Carleton nodded, still
impressed.  With an unfamiliar weapon, Frances hit wide of the spade at her
first shot and clipped the edge of it at her second.  “I find it a little heavy
after my own.  I’d need to practice to be as accurate with it.”  She turned back
to Carleton to find that he had been joined by a couple of well dressed
gentlemen in buckskins.  One was a stranger to her but the other was her
dancing partner of the previous night!  She fancied he was looking rather
closely at her and bent down to return Carleton’s pistol to its case.
    “May
we join you Richard?” Lambert was asking.  “Harry has a new pair he wants me to
try, claims they are the best he’s handled.”
    Carleton
nodded, “Have you met Peter Francis? Jack Lambert and Harry Belmont.” They all
shook hands.  “Harry rather fancies himself as a good shot too Peter – you two
should have a match,” Carleton continued slyly.
    Frances
shot him a look of reproach but Belmont said eagerly, “What a capital idea!”  He
reminded